Crank connection for steam-engines



No. 6l4,745. Patented Nov. 22, I898. H. NI. NEWKIBK & H. A. SCHMIDT.CRANK GDNNEGTION FOR- STEAM ENGINES.

(Application med Feb. 16, 1897.) (No Model.)

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FATENT HARRY M. NEWKIRK AND HENRY A. SCHMIDT, OF NE\V PORT NEIVS,VIRGINIA.

CRANK CONNECTION FOR STEAM-ENGINES,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 614,745, dated November22, 1898 Application filecl February 16, 1897. Serial No. 623,644. (Nomodel.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HARRY M. N EWKIRK and HENRY A. SCHMIDT, residing atNewport News, in the county of Warwick and State of Virginia, haveinvented a new and useful Crank Connection for Steam -Engines, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to an improvement in steam-engines, andmore particularly to that class known as stationary engines. The sameespecially relates to mechanical arrangements for converting thereciprocating motion of the piston into the rotary motion of thedrive-shaft.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to avoid the lostmotion so common in this class of engines and also to prevent the suddenjerk or jar which is found so detrimental to the general construction ofengines of this class now in use.

With these various objects in view our invention consists, essentially,in a reciprocating rectangular frame having the rack-teeth upon theopposite sides thereof arranged in a definite manner with regard to thelength of the frame, so that the rack-bar upon the opposite side of theframe will alternately engage the teeth of the mutilated gear which isconnected to the power-shaft, so that the power-shaft is continuallydriven in a defined direction in combination with a connection betweenthe mutilated gear and sliding frame, whereby the gear and frame arealways held in positive engagement with each other, thereby preventingany danger of lost motion between the same.

In the drawings forminga part of this specification, Figure 1 representsa perspective View showing our invention in use. Fig. 2 is a view,partly in section, showing the rackbars and the engine proper in sideelevation. Fig. 3 is a detail plan View. Fig. 4 is a verticalcross-section taken on the line at 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5is a detail Viewshowing the cylinder-head detached.

In carrying out our invention we employ any desired construction ofcylinder and steam-chest A for operating the piston-rod B, which Worksthrough the end piece of the supportingframe D, said supporting-framebeing suitably mounted at the desired distance from the engine-cylinder,and sliding in said supporting-frame is a rectangularshaped frame Erigidly connected with the forward end of the piston-rod, as mostclearly shown in the drawings, said rectangularshaped frame E, having arib E, which is adapted to enter a V- shaped groove D, formed in thefacesof the supporting-frame D, this construction insuring thesteadiness of the reciprocating frame within the supporting-frame.

The rectangular shaped reciprocating frame E has the internal rack-barsF and F, the rack-bar F being arranged slightly offset longitudinally inrelation to the rack-bar F, said bars being adapted to alternately meshor engage the teeth of the pinion G, said pinion being mounted upon adrive-shaft H, which is generally journaled and provided with afly-wheel H.

The pitman E is pivotally connected to the end of the reciprocatingframe and is connected with the mutilated gear at a point adjacent tothe circumference of the said gear, the purpose of said pitman andconnection being to insure the positive engagement of the mutilated gearand the rack-bars, so as to avoid all lost motion.

The stud or pin L, carried by the crankdisk and the pitman E is for thepurpose of keeping the sliding rack F and the pinion G in their properpositions. The crank on the end of the pin L is adjustable and is madestationary by suitable set-screws H. This crank is employed in place ofan eccentric, which is usually employed on the ordinary form ofsteam-engines. The said crank is connected to thevalve-rod C.

It will thus be seen that we provide an exceedingly cheap and simpleconstruction of engine attachment whereby the reciprocating motion ofthe piston-rod is transferred and a steady and even rotary motion of thepower shaft is produced. Lost motion is thereby avoided, obviating thejerk or jar so common among engines now in use.

Various slight changes might be made in the forms and construction ofthe parts herein described without departing from the spirit and scopeof our invention. Hence we do not wish to limit ourselves to the exactconstruc- V tion herein set forth, but consider ourselves entitled toall such changes as fall within the spirit and scope of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination with the reciprocatingframe, having internal rack-bars, the muti lated gear arranged withinthe frame and adapted for engagement with the rack-bars, and a pitmanconnected to one end of the reciprocating frame and eccentricallyattached to the mutilated gear, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the reciprocating frame having internalrack-bars, one arranged in advance of the other, of the mutilated gearadapted for engagement with the rack-bars, and the pitman connected toone end of the reciprocating frame and eccentrically connected to themutilated gear, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with the supportingframe, of the reciprocating frameworking therein, said reciprocating frame having rackbars, the mutilatedgear and the pitman connecting the mutilated gear and reciprocatingframe, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination with the supportingframe having the V-shaped groovesupon the inner faces, of the reciprocating frame hav ing double-edgedribs adapted to engage the grooves of the supporting-frame, the internal rack-bars carried by the reciprocating frame, the mutilated gearadapted for engagement with the rack-bars, and the pitman connecting themutilated gear and the end of the reciprocating frame, substantially asshown and described.

5. In an engine, the combination with the cylinder, piston andpiston-rod, of the supporting-frame having the V-shaped grooves upon theinner faces, the reciprocating frame having the double-edged exteriorribs and the internal rack-bars, the mutilated gear arranged within theframe and adapted for engagement with the rack-bars, the pitrnanconnecting the end of the frame with the mutilated gear at a pointbeyond the center and adjacent to the teeth,the shaft H, andbalancewheel H, the crank-disk M, the shaft N, and the band-wheel N, allarranged and adapted to operate, substantially as shown and described.

H. M. NEVKIRK. HENRY A. SCHMIDT.

\Vitnesses:

JAMES L. BOWEN, A. L. POWELL.

